Prague Cafe Sells Chocolate Covid Molecule. It’s a Hit

Fancy biting into an edible Coronavirus molecule? It may not be your usual craving, but Černá Madona restaurant has begun selling a dessert that resembles a magnified image of the virus. It’s a massive success.

Confectioner Olga Budnik came up with the novel ideal during quarantine in the spring of this year. “I found a photo with a magnification of coronavirus on the Internet and I thought in detail about what the dessert should consist of so that it resembles a virus. I was thinking about what to make spikes that stick out of the virus and how to get suitable colours,” she said.

The final result is striking. The dessert slightly smaller than a tennis ball and covered with a chocolate crust dusted with cocoa butter spray. Dried raspberries are stuck to circles of white chocolate, made to resemble the spines which stick out of the molecule. Inside of the spiky ball, you will find nothing but luxurious layers of pistachio cream, raspberry puree, and more raspberries.

This new offering is an ironic nod to the way Coronavirus has impacted Černá Madona’s business. Vojtěch Heřmánek, the company’s marketing manager, said: “Our turnover has dropped by tens of percent. The dessert in the form of coronavirus may become a symbol that everything is not lost yet.”

Housed in a Cubist building that was designed by architect Josef Gočár in 1911, this First Republic cafe is usually crawling with tourists. Now that Czech is on many red lists, Olga felt she had to be creative to attract business to Prague’s Old Town.

Her gamble seems to have worked so far – they say over 100 pieces of the dessert are sold every day and say interest continues to grow.  Olga now has plans for a dessert that resembles a Covid-19 vaccine.  “I would like to put a lot of lime and some alcohol in it,” the Ukrainian pastry chef revealed.